Gordon Banks

 

Gordon is a retired Insurance Broker who now chairs the Merchant Company Charities Committee and is a Director of the Edinburgh City Youth Cafe.

 

Margery Browning

 

Qualified as a secondary teacher and chartered educational psychologist, Margery's career included teaching, working in a local authority psychological service and teacher education before joining HM Inspectorate of Education as a specialist in the education of children and young people requiring additional support for learning. Since retiring from HMIe, she works as an educational consultant.  She was awarded an OBE in 2006.

 

Jimmy Cook

 

 

Jimmy represents STUC on the Board. He has been a member of Board since 1977. He is a former President of the Scottish National Federation for Welfare of the Blind and is currently Chairman of RNIB Scotland. Jimmy is currently a member of the National League of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind. He is also a member of Scottish Division’s “Equities Forum” of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers.

 

David Dunn

 

David is a Chartered Accountant and prior to retiring was Chief Accountant & Company Secretary of The Scottish Life Assurance Company.

 

Dr Brian Fleck

 

Brian is a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, and the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh. He is Lead Clinician for all surgical services at the sick children’s hospital in Edinburgh. He is a member of the ophthalmology research committee, and has previously been chairman of the Ophthalmology Board of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Brian has been involved in various capacities with clinical services to the Royal Blind School and Braeside House for 20 years, and is very much interested in the welfare of students and residents.

 

Lorraine  Grady

 

 

 

Lorraine, who holds an MSc in Social Work, is a project leader/practice assessor at Multi Cultural Family base with responsibility for developing the partnership arrangements for providing student practice learning opportunities. She also works part time as an associate lecturer with the Open University in Scotland. Lorraine is married with two grown-up daughters and enjoys travel, reading and socialising with friends.

 

David Johnston

David is a journalist to trade, and was managing director of Radio Forth in Edinburgh, leaving there in 2000. Since then he has developed a small number of business interests as a direct participant and also as a business angel in a number of company start ups.  He is chairman of the Dunbar RNLI Lifeboat Station, the deputy chairman of the East Lothian Pipes and Drums Trust, and is a trustee of the Scottish Flag Trust.

 

Iain Lumsden

 

Iain is an actuary who spent most of his career with Standard Life. He was responsible for that company's actuarial and accounting functions for 15 years before becoming Group Chief Executive, a position from which he retired in 2004. He is married with two grown-up children and is a trustee of one other charity.

 

Gwenn McCreath

 

 

Gwenn is currently Chief Executive of health in mind, an organisation which promotes the health and well being of people who experience mental health difficulties. She is also a Director of Volunteer Development Scotland. Gwenn is an accomplished fundraising manager and a former Assistant Director of RNIB Scotland.

 

Douglas Osler

 

Douglas was HM Senior Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland.  He has undertaken consultancy work for the Scottish Justice Department, reviewing the Parole Board and the Scottish Court Service and in Northern Ireland as chair of a Statutory Inquiry into child abuse and as chairman of the Commissioners appointed to manage the South Eastern Education & Library Board. 

 

Ken Reid

Ken spent over 20 years in a variety of roles with Scottish & Newcastle, before retiring on medical grounds in 2008 as a result of his visual impairment.  Since then he splits his time between a portfolio of interests.  He provides consultancy to help organisations make themselves more open to people with disabilities, particularly those who are blind or partially sighted.  Ken works with several organisations of and for blind and partially sighted people, such as RNIB and Vision 2020, to make a difference to lives of people affected by sight loss.  To relax he takes part in a variety of sporting activities in and around East Lothian, where he has lived for over 20 years, activities include running, cycling, walking and rowing.  Ken is also deputy session clerk at his home Church.

 

Alex Scott

 

 

 

After losing his sight in 1977, Alex joined the Blindcraft workshops in Edinburgh. He then became an activist with the National League of the Blind and Disabled (NLBD) and co-ordinated the successful campaign for a Concessionary Travel Scheme in Scotland. He later received an MBE in recognition of this work. Alex has represented NLBD on a number of Committees and served as an independent director on the Board of VISES (Visually Impaired Services in East Scotland) until its merger with RNIB in 2003, when he became a member of the Scottish Assembly. Alex serves on the Liberton area Community Council. He was further recognised for his work when he received a Hero in the Community Award from Nigel Griffiths MP. Alex is still actively campaigning on accessible travel issues.

 

Margaret Sibbald

Margaret qualified as a Registered General Nurse from Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (E.R.I.) in 1962 and as a Midwife in 1963 from Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion. From 1986 to 1992 she was Senior Nurse covering Surgical Intensive Care Units in the E.R.I. and was appointed Service Manager Cardio Thoracic Surgery in 1992 until her retirement in 2000. Margaret lives in Midlothian with her husband where they have been for almost 40 years. Their son and daughter have long since left the nest, but their Newfoundland dog keeps them very active.

 

Conor Snowden

Conor was elected to the City of Edinburgh Council in 2007 for the Liberton/Gilmerton ward and previously worked for the MSP for Edinburgh South, Mike Pringle. He has a strong interest in the south side of the City, where he has lived for 11 years, an area which covers many of the Royal Blind's locations. He came to Edinburgh to do postgraduate science work and now works as a senior science advisor for British Council Scotland.

 

Peter Stephenson

 

Peter is a chartered banker and was formerly Head of Direct Banking, Glasgow, for Lloyds TSB. He has many years of executive level experience in banking and financial services. He is a Trustee of the Centre of Health and Wellbeing and a Director of Craigmillar Enterprise Trust. Peter’s interests include sport, music and literature.

 

Janis Sugden

 

Janis is a Chartered Teacher with over thirty years experience of working in education. Initially involved in the education of mainstream primary children, she has also worked in a special school for children with moderate learning difficulties. For the last twenty years Janis has worked as a peripatetic teacher of visually impaired children, from birth to school leaving age, in a variety of settings including the home. Currently, she is the course director of the Postgraduate Diploma in Additional Support for Learning (Visual Impairment) in The School of Education, Moray House at The University of Edinburgh and was recently appointed Coordinator of the Scottish Sensory Centre.

 

Glen Waddell

 

Glen is a chartered accountant who worked for Bield Housing Association Ltd, one of the largest registered social landlords in Scotland with a turnover of over £30 million. At Bield, Glen headed up the Finance and IT Department as Director of Financial Services. After retiral from Bield in 2005 he had spells as a committee member of Ark Housing Association and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations Pension Scheme. Glen is married with 3 children and enjoys sports (plays golf and tennis), walking, and local history. He is also treasurer of his local church.